This is a crisp, decidedly refreshing and appetite-whetting white wine. Its nose presents ripe peach with wisps of vanilla, but also hints at richer, more tropical fruits like mango and pineapple. Comparable flavors follow through onto the palate and are framed by a palate-cleansing zing of acidity and accented by a minerally finish.

This isn't an overly complex wine, but it serves its purpose. Not only does the wine lend itself to our local fish and shellfish, but ten-percent of the proceeds from its sale goes to the Southold Project in Aquaculture Training (SPAT), an organization that, among other things, strives teach locals how to farm their own shellfish.

Winemaker Les Howard hopes "Perhaps one day the shellfish in our local waters will come back in the numbers there were 30 years ago."

February 27, 2006

2004 was only an average growing year on the North Fork of Long Island, but Ron Goerler, Jamesport Vineyards' owner and vineyard manager, spoke highly last spring of his chardonnay (and cabernet sauvignon) grapes. He's well-regarded as a grape grower and his reputation is actually part of what attracted winemaker Les Howard to Jamesport Vineyards.

When I first met Les last year, he stated a desire to make well-balanced wines first and foremost because "Spikes of oak or acidity
numb your taste buds, shortening the finish."

So what about this 2004 Cox Lane Chardonnay?

Just over one-third of the fruit was fermented in steel tanks, while the remaining grapes were fermented in one- and two-year old oak barrels, leading to an oak-inflected, but not at all oak-dominated wine.

The nose is lemony, with toasted marshmallow aromas. The winery's website describes this wine as "more like California" but I found it much more Burgundy than Napa. When chilled, it was lean, with citrus and crisp pear flavors that develop into richer baked apple and caramel as the wine warms a bit.

As I reported back in November, Leucadia National (owner's of Pine Ridge Winery in Napa) purchased the two tasting rooms along with two local vineyards. I'm a little surprised that they are closing them down already, but one winery that used to pour there, Sherwood House Vineyards, has opened its own tasting room, and I suspect that others were heading that direction.

As soon as I hear back from the respective owners, I'll make sure to let you know where you can taste and buy these wines -- both in the short and long term.

Despite ABC (Anything But Chardonnay) groups and the woody/buttery/sweet renditions many CA producers punish our palates with, chardonnay remains the king of white wine in terms of sales and acreage here on Long Island.

I think name recognition at least partially drives this. The average wine drinker just doesn't know what gewurtztraminer tastes like and probably thinks of riesling as super-sweet and "not classy."

The charddonnay shift is on, however, so even chardonnay haters can find bottles with nice acid, crisp fruit and none (or little) if the 2x4 flavors of old.

All I know is that I have a ton of local chardonnay in my tasting queue...so to work my way through them, I'm announcing this week as LENNDEVOURS Chardonnay Week 2006. Every day I'll post reviews of at least one or two local bottlings.

It might be one of my least favorite varieties, but there are some local versions I enjoy. I bet you can guess what style they're made in.

When I first read about the proposal, part of me was worried about the potential for farmer's market homogenization. I mean, if the markets are run by some large entity, and the offerings are the same, what's the point? You might as well go to your local grocery store.

But, in reading further, the legislation proposes that at least 50% of the wares come from local producers, which is good. After all, the joy of these markets is getting to know the guy up the road who grows the best tomatoes and getting the best of what your region does well. Again, if you want non-local fruits, just go to your local megamart.

February 23, 2006

I'm working on a story for Edible East End that highlights the some of the best East End B&B breakfasts, and with so many to choose from with so many great cooks/chefs, it's a daunting task to say the least.

So, if you've stayed at a local B&B and had a great breakfast that I just can't miss, let me know.

On Saturday, March 11 I'll be heading to The Lenz Winery for a sure-to-be-interesting blind tasting event hosted by owner Peter Carroll and winemaker Eric Fry. We will be tasting four Lenz wines blind against premium wines from France.

I'm looking forward to the event, which (unfortunately for many of you) is invite only to members of their wine club and the press. I've always enjoyed most of the Lenz lineup, but more more excited about the opportunity to taste some of the higher-end Bordeaux in the flights.

Strawberry wine. It's not something I drink regularly and probably not anything I'd drink with non-dessert food. But, over the weekend I tasted and compared two different versions from two well-known Hudson Valley wineries, Baldwin Vineyards and Alison Wines & Vineyards.

I'm not going to go into full tasting note mode here...they both look, smell and taste like strawberries, there's not a whole lot of nuance here. But there are differences certainly.

Both were very sweet and edging on the cloying side of things but not quite. The one from Alison, named Fraise ($18 for 375ml), is the more refined of the two, less raw and more subtle. I think it would shine best with dark chocolate or chocolate cake.

The Baldwin version ($13 for 750ml), on the other hand, is almost rustic in its intense strawberry character with a bit more sweetness. I'd consider drizzling this one over vanilla bean ice cream or pound cake.

They both had a somewhat musty finish that was a little off putting. Because they both had it, I can only assume that is something that happens any time you make wine from strawberries. If anyone else has any experience with Strawberry wines, let me know if you've noticed the same.

February 21, 2006

Valentine's Day is treated a little bit differently in our house, I think. We don't really buy each other gifts beyond a well-thought-out card. But, we have a few food traditions related to the most Hallmark of all holidays.

First, we never, ever go out to dinner for the occasion. So many restaurants have over-priced, under-delivering fixed menus, and tables filled with people who never go out to nice restaurants and act like it.

Second, in recent years, Nena has started making her should-be-famous banana-chocolate chip pancakes (in heart shape) on the day itself. It's a casual, fun meal that we both love...even if wine pairing is nearly impossible (sweeter bubbly like a Moscato d'Asti?).

Third, I take a day off of work to shop for and cook an involved meal, with wine pairing, for the love of my life. Friday was the day for the 2006 edition of the meal.

This year, I don't need to post any recipes from the meal...because I borrowed (with slight modifications) the first two courses from the king of Internet recipes (to me anyway) Stephen of Stephencooks.com.

To start, I made my own version of his Salad of Pears, Roasted Beets and Three Aphrodisiacs
. I replaced the fresh goat cheese with an aged one that I grated over the salad, in lieu of the lime/ginger/shallot dressing, I used blueberry vinaigrette, and I put it all over a small pile of baby romaine. The results were spectacular.

For the main course, I made my own take on Stephen's Butternut Squash Risotto with Sausage, Pancetta and Leeks. The main change I made in this one was to remove the Italian sausage and replace it with some apple-chicken sausage I picked up at Whole Foods. The sweetness of the apples matched nicely with the squash, with the salty and smokey pancetta (and of course salty parmesan) providing balance. Stephen will forever be Mr. Risotto in my mind because of this dish...which was equally delicious the next day when I mixed the leftovers with one egg, formed patties, rolled them in seasoned bread crumbs and pan fried them.

Last, but not least, I made an Anjou pear crumble with old fashioned rolled oats in the crumble. I don't typically bake because I'm so awful at following recipes precisely, but it was pretty simple and it turned out pretty well.

Roanoke Vineyards is a must-stop tasting room on the North Fork. From it's rich, artisanal reds, the hands-on approach of Rich and Soraya, to the opportunity to also sample wines from Wolffer Estate and Atwater Estate, it's the perfect one-stop destination...if you only have time for one stop.

February 20, 2006

I swear, I meant to blog about Cheese Sandwich Day on the day itself, last Thursday. But, while we cooked and ate our yummy grilled cheese sandwich, a vacation day Friday and a long holiday weekend spent doing work on our new house has created a bit of a blogging back log.

So what is Cheese Sandwich Day all about anyway? I'll leave that explanation up to my go-to blog when I'm looking for a delicious recipe, Stephencooks.

As for our sandwiches, I stopped on the way home at the local grocery store (greatly limiting my cheese selection) and whipped up the above beauties. The ingredients are all pretty basic, run-of-the-mill items, but sometimes those are the best.

I took some "fancy" bread from the in-store bakery, a scallion loaf, and topped it with thinly sliced red onion, thinly sliced ripe Anjou pear, Monterrey Jack cheese and some white cheddar.

I didn't take any particular offense to the Food & Wine story that started this tidal wave of gooey cheesy goodness...but any excuse for grilled cheese is a good one, right?

February 16, 2006

Think again...New York City is going to be hosting its first BBQ contest on March 26 -- Grillin' on the Bay. Some of the region's best pit bosses will be cooking up chicken, pork, fish and even dessert.

February 15, 2006

We had a bet, and my winnings arrived yesterday. As you can see above and to the right, B tried to cover up her obvious shame by burying the bottle in Seahawks gear. She's a gracious loser, I'll give her that. I think Ben Roethlisbeagle will enjoy ripping the wrist bands to shreds. (Just teasing, I know a Seahawks fan here at the office I think he has kids. So they'll get the gear most likely). And the wrist bands are actually a nice touch for protecting the bottl as well. Nicely done, B.

The bottle is now resting comfortably (sans bands) in my wine fridge for future enjoyment.

February 14, 2006

Wine lovers and writers often debate the validity and usefulness of wine scores. I think they have their place, when taken as a part of a complete review that includes tasting notes and background information.

But then I finally thumbed through the February issue of Wine Spectator and came upon some disturbing scores.

It's not often that I see many New York wines listed, even in the back. But this was their "ratings roundup" so there were quite a few. Some scary numbers:

Now I'm the first to remind people that a wine score/rating is no more than one person's opinion. But for all four of these wines to be rated lower than anything made by Yellow Tail is simply mind-boggling. Of course it also clearly illustrates the current love affair publications like WS have with jammy, "fruit bomb" wines.

Come to Long Island and taste some refined, nuanced...balanced wines. Just say no to Yellow Tail.

February 13, 2006

Du you Rhone? Whether you do or not, join food and wine bloggers the world over with the latest vintage of Wine Blogging Wednesday, hosted by Jathan, founder of the newly re-designed Winexpression.com.

February 10, 2006

Heavy, over-manipulated chardonnay is one of the wine community’s least appealing members, at least in the eyes, and palate, of this wine lover. Wine geeks often label these wines “flabby” but I compare drinking them to sucking on a butter-slathered two by four. And, despite what some sales-minded winemakers will tell you, pairing these wines with food is a crapshoot at best.

Of course, chardonnay is a key chameleon variety, with a seemingly endless array of styles. On one end you have crisp, fruity, acidic chardonnay — those that don’t spend any time in oak barrels during or after the fermentation process. These wines tend to be lighter yellow color and their flavors lean toward green apples and tart citrus with a crisp, clean mouthfeel.

On the opposite end of the style spectrum are chardonnays that look like liquid gold. These wines have been born and raised in oak barrels and have gone through a process called malolactic fermentation — the conversion of malic acid to lactic acid — which gives the wine a fuller, more viscous feel in the mouth. The flavor profile in these wines is also richer, with more baked apple, butterscotch, buttery toast, vanilla and even popcorn.

Crisp,
clean and refreshing, this is a wine for those of you who think
you hate chardonnay. Fermented 100% in steel tanks, you won't
find any overbearing, heavy-handed oak influence. No...what you get is
ripe apple and pear, fresh citrus and hints of minerals on the finish.

February 08, 2006

Assuming my day job doesn't cut the training budget, they are sending their content manager (that's me) out your way for a few days. And, I've graciously volunteered to stay an extra couple of days if it saves the company on my flights.

I probably won't know the details of my stay until April, but I hope to "bump into" as many of you as I can.

Now I just need to figure out the best way to pack up a bunch of local wines to force down your throats.

I've hit a slight snag for March's edition of the event (the blogger scheduled to host has gone missing it seems) but I think I have a backup plan that will work just fine. Stay tuned for the annoucement this week.

I love riesling...particularly those from the Mosel (in Germany) and those from the Finger Lakes. I drink riesling all the time and love its food-friendliness and relatively affordable quality. You can get top-flight riesling for a fraction of the cost of similar quality Bordeaux, California Cab, etc.

Over the weekend I tasted The Brotherhood Winery's 2004 Dry Riesling ($10) and had reasonably high hopes. Why? Well, I remember thinking a previous vintage, tasted at their tasting room in the Hudson Valley, was pretty good for ten bucks. Plus, this wine was made from Finger Lakes fruit...

Well I was definitely disappointed. Eyes: Crystal-clear pale yellow with a slightly straw tintNose: Faintly floral with some citrus and wet stoneTongue: Light body and tart to the point of being a little sour on the finish. Lacks fruit, with only a little under-ripe apple/pear and sour lemon. Light acid. Reminds me of a cheap pinot grigio in some ways.Price: $10Grade: C-